Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B23/00—Uppers; Boot legs; Stiffeners; Other single parts of footwear
  • A43B23/08—Heel stiffeners; Toe stiffeners
  • A43B23/081—Toe stiffeners
  • A43B23/086—Toe stiffeners made of impregnated fabrics, plastics or the like
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B3/00—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
  • A43B3/0026—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use for use in minefields; protecting from landmine blast; preventing landmines from being triggered

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to safety footwear and, more particularly, to an improved non-metallic toe guard for footwear, and to footwear incorporating such an improved toe guard.
• Toe guards also known as toe boxes, have been known and in use for a long; time.
• safety footwear such as used by firemen, policemen, military men, sportsmen, outdoorsmen, construction workers, electrical workers, and steel workers, as opposed to conventional footwear worn in general, known toe guards typically are formed of a metal, such as steel, as by stamping and/or drawing, or the like. While for many applica ⁇ tions, such safety footwear, incorporating metallic toe guards, is satisfactory, it has its inherent drawbacks and limitations.
• This toe guard possesses a chemical composition and a mechanical configuration that are characterized by a fortuitous combination of flex modulus, compression strength, and impact strength.
• the non-metallic toe guard of the present invention is composed of a specific fiber-reinforced polymeric composite material, preferably a fiber reinforced composite material having the characteristics of light weight, corrosion resistance, low thermal conductivity and required high compression and impact resistance.
• the composite toe guard of the invention is formed (1) with a bevel on its inside top edge for greater comfort and for preventing injury to the foot of the wearer when the footwear is flexed,
• the fiber reinforced composite compound includes a matrix or external phase composed of a polymeric material and a filler or internal phase composed of high tensile strength fibers embedded therein.
• the composite material in accordance with the present invention is a glass fiber filled linear polyamide.
• Footwear incorporating the improved toe guard of the present invention includes boots and shoes made for and ⁇ sed by men, women, and children of any design and construction, including welted, cemented or injection molded.
• the invention accordingly comprises the improved non-metallic toe guard for footwear, and the footwear so produced, of the present disclosure, its components, parts and their interrelationships, the scope of which will be indicated in the appended claims.
• FIG. 1 is a partially cut away perspective view of a footwear incorporating an improved toe guard according to the present invention
• FIG. 2 depicts a portion of the footwear shown in FIG. 1 cut along the line 2 - 2;
• FIG. 3 is a cross section of the improved toe guard shown in FIG. 1 along the line 2 - 2;
• FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational section of the footwear shown in FIG. 1 along the line 4 - 4;
• FIG. 5 is a partially cut away perspective view of another footwear incorporating a different embodiment of an improved toe guard according to the present invention;
• FIG. 6 is a cross section of the toe guard of FIG. 5 along the line 6 - 6;
• FIG. 7 is a fragmentary portion of the footwear shown in FIG. 5;
• FIG. 8 is a view similar to that shown in FIG. 7, but showing a further embodiment of an improved footwear according to the present invention.
• FIG. 9 is a cross section of still another footwear incorporating another embodiment of an improved toe guard according to the present invention.
• FIG. 1 a footwear 10 made according to and incor ⁇ porating the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 as comprising an upper 12, a bottom 14 and a vamp 16, forming a toe 18.
• the footwear 10 as illustrated is a military boot.
• the invention equally is applicable to any and all types of safety footwear, including shoes and boots such as are used by firemen, policemen, sportsmen, hunters, surveyors, con ⁇ struction workers, electrical workers, steel workers, and the like.
• the footwear according to the invention can be of any known design and construction, including welted, cemented or injection molded.
• the footwear 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is of the welted construction.
• An improved non-metallic toe guard 20 is shown as being incorporated in the toe 18 of the footwear 10.
• the improved toe guard 20 endows the footwear 10 with dielectric and non-magnetic properties, significantly reducing exposure of its wearer to electrical shock and the like.
• the toe guard 20 is formed of a glass fiber filled linear polyamide composite material. This compound is characterized by being light in weight, non-corrosive and having a low thermal conductivity.
• the improved non-metallic toe guard 20 provides the wearer of the footwear 10 incorporating it with as much, if not more, safety as heretofore exhibited by safety footwear featuring metallic, such as steel, toe guards.
• the composite material of which the toe guard of the present invention is composed comprises an external phase consisting essentially of a linear polyamide such a 6-6 Nylon, and an internal phase consisting essentially of a refractory fiber such as fiberglass, the proportion of external phase polymer by total weight ranging from 40-70% and the proportion of internal phase filler by total weight ranging from 60-30Z, and the density of the composite ranging from 1.27 to 1.65.
• a majority of the glass fibers are at least 1 centimeter long, are composed of E-glass or F-glass, and are oriented at random with respect to each other.
• the external phase is 6-6 Nylon - 60% by total weight
• the internal phase is E-glass fiberglass - 40% by total weight
• the density of the 6-6 Nylon being approximately
• the starting fiberglass, linear polyamide composite is formed by extruding the linear polyamide along lengths of the fiberglass filler in such a way as to produce lengths of the composite, then chopping the lengths to size, typically producing pieces of 1 centimeter square, mixing the resulting pieces and compacting in a mold under pressure and heat ranging from 1,000 to 6,000 pounds per square inch and from 400 to 600°F.
• the fiberglass is distributed in small groups, each having -8- parallel fiberglass strands such that the strands in a given group are parallel, but the strands of different groups are at random angles with respect to other groups.
• the improved non-metallic toe guard 20 is formed with a top portion 22, a front portion 24 and side portions 26 and 28.
• the top portion 22 and the side portions 26 and 28 define a first or upper edge 30 distal from the front of the toe, the edge 30 being provided with a first bevel 32.
• the front 24 and the side portions 26 and 28 also define a second or lower edge 34, with the edge 34 provided with a second bevel 36.
• the inclination of the first bevel 32 with respect to the adjoining portions of the rearward edge of the toe guard is of a gentler slope and lesser angle than that of the second bevel 36 with respect to the lower edge of the toe guard.
• first bevel 32 is formed on the inside, i.e., t p- side facing the foot of a wearer
• second bevel 36 is formed on the bottom or outside, i.e., the side facing away from the foot of a wearer.
• FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-section of the non-metallic toe guard 20 according to the invention and formed with no flange at the bottom.
• the footwear 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 - 4 is of a welt construction, as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4.
• the bottom 14 thereof is shown comprised of an outsole 38, a midsole 40, and a welt 42, all connected by a line of stitch ⁇ ing 44.
• a filler 46 is disposed on the midsole 40, topped by a felt liner 48 and an inner sole 50, all as well known.
• the footwear 10 also is provided with a lining 21.
• FIGS. 5 - 7 a footwear 56 of cement construction is illustrated.
• the illustrated footwear 56 is a cowboy boot and formed with an upper 58 and a bottom 60 forming a toe 62, with a non-metallic toe guard 64 incorporated in the toe 62.
• FIG. 6 a cross-section of the non-metallic toe guard 64 according to the invention is shown being of the same composi ⁇ tion as toe guard 20 and as having a flange 76.
• Flange 76 is shown as extending throughout the bottom of the toe guard and as presenting a reentrant portion extending forwardly from the rearward edge.
• This particular cement construction includes a midsole 66 injection molded to the upper, and an outsole 68 cemented to the midsole 66 along a line 70 defining their interface. Further, the upper 58 preferably also is roughed and cemented as at 72, prior to its being injection molded with the midsole 66, observe FIG. 5 with the insole being omitted.
• This embodiment of the non-metallic toe guard 64 also is provided with an inside top bevel edge 74 and differs essen ⁇ tially from the toe guard 20 merely in that it is provided with the flange 76 at the bottom thereof.
• metallic toe guards it has not been possible to provide such a wide flange, or sometimes indeed any flange at all since one can only draw steel so far. Consequently, when the resultant footwear has been exposed to compression or severe impact from the top, as by a heavy object falling on the footwear, severe splay often developed. Such severe splay not only rendered the footwear unfit for further use, but more importantly presented a danger that the wearer's foot might become locked in the impatted footwear.
• the non-metallic toe guard 64 of the invention in contrast, can be formed with as wide a flange 76 as desired. Generally, the wider the flange 76, the less the resultant splay.
• FIG. 8 illustrates an injection molded footwear 80 having a bottom 82, injection formed in a suitable mold to an upper 84, preferably roughed and cemented, as at 86.
• Footwear 80 is provided with a non-metallic toe guard 88 having a bottom flange 90 and it is like toe guard 20 in composition.
• a non-metallic toe guard 102 is like that shown in FIG. 8 in composition and in configuration except as follows.
• the toe guard 102 also is provided with a full bottom portion 104.
• the upper 106 is this time injection formed with a rubber bottom 108, however.
• Bottom 108 can be formed of natural or synthetic rubber, as contrasted with a preferred PVC bottom 82 for the footwear 80 illustrated in FIG. 8.
• An insole 109 is shown overlying the bottom portion 104 of the toe guard 106.

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• Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=24811201

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

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Family Cites Families (10)

• 1986
  • 1986-02-06 EP EP19860901274 patent/EP0211900A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1986-02-06 WO PCT/US1986/000272 patent/WO1986004490A1/en unknown
  • 1986-02-06 AU AU54533/86A patent/AU5453386A/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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